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Feb 7, 2006
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Hong Man Choi booted from K-1 to MMA?

FEG event producer Sadaharu Tanikawa said in a press conference Sunday in Tokyo that Hong Man Choi may get the boot from K-1 kickboxing.

"I would like to lay off Hong Man Choi from K-1," Tanikawa said. "He is getting worse in K-1, and is not a competitive. He may do better in MMA. So I will consider offering him a fight in Dynamite if he is OK to fight under MMA rules."

Choi has fought twice previously under mixed martial arts rules. His first was against a comedian and his second against the number one heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Akihiro Gono blogs his financial difficulties

UFC welterweight Akihiro Gono recently blogged on his financial difficulties as well as falling asleep during the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao pay-per-view.

December 5:

“I'm being influence by the worldwide financial crisis. I took 2 [extra people] to Birmingham at my expense. I paid their accommodation, transportation and meals with my credit card. I came home, was stressed out by losing [to Dan Hardy at UFC 89], and wasted money on shopping to manage my stress. Today, I was shocked to see the invoice from my credit card company. The amount was more than I had in my checking account."

"I had to take money from my US dollar saving account. When I withdrew some last December, the currency rate was $1=JPY115. Today, I lost money since the current rate was $1= JPY92.50. I wish I had a normal Japanese yen account; then, I could visit a luxury soapland (a type of brothel in Japan) more than 10 times with the money I lost. I have no money and no girlfriend this Winter. I'll spend my free time downloading Christmas songs at home."

December 7:

"I purchased the PPV of Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao. I laid down on the bed, and waited until their fight started. How stupid of me to fall in sleep while waiting! When I woke up, it was the moment Oscar gave up and walked to Pacquiao."
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Tatsuya Kawajiri says “ I'm not afraid of taking a risk.”

DREAM official website posted an interview of Tatsuya Kawajiri on December 8. This interview was taken place in Tokyo on November 27.

- Tell me what you think about your next fight.
This is the third time for me to fight on NYE. I'm very honored to participate in the biggest MMA event of the year in Japan. I had been thinking about fighting an MMA fighter, so I was surprised when I first heard about Kozo Takeda who was a great kickboxer.

- Your nickname is crasher. You have no opportunity to pound him and show him your strength.
I know I am going to be at a disadvantage because we fight under the K-1 rules. I'm an underdog and maybe dominated, yet I'm very excited to see what I can do. I'm not afraid of taking a risk to get injured badly. I'm not going to make any excuse even if I lose. I have the courage of challenging to the top K-1 fighter.

- Did you think about your fighting style and plan?
As usual, I fight aggressively from the beginning. I'm not exceptionally talented fighters like Genki Sudo and Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto. All I can do is to give my best all the time. My legs will be broken when I get his kicks more than 5 times. I should avoid getting his kicks and finish him as soon as I can. I'm training hard, and won't miss any single chance, and so I have a chance to win.

- Any message to your fans?
Accepting this offer maybe an impulsive decision, but I believe there are many things to be gained by experiencing this fight. I hope my fight encouraged people to make challenging New Year resolutions.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Lawyering Up: The Increasing Role of Attorneys in the MMA World

Chicago Lawyer Magazine has up an interesting piece on the varying roles of lawyers in MMA and the increasing impact they are having on the business.

Richard Wilner, who specializes in immigration law as it relates to MMA is profiled in the piece. The article details his relationships with both EliteXC and Affliction in expediting immigration matters. It is kind of curious that UFC doesn’t have him on retainer or really have anyone in house that is able to handle such matters. The UFC looked to sign Hector Lombard previously but due to immigration and visa issues he was never able to get entry to the US, negating his ability to sign with the UFC. EliteXC hired Wilner on their own dime to get the matter cleared and got Lombard in country and under contract. I’m sure the UFC looked at as a matter of being the 800 lb gorilla and just going on to the next guy to sign, but with the increasing internationalization of their business, having someone like Wilner or someone in his role looks to increasingly be a necessity, not something that can be dismissed.

Another lawyer of note mentioned in the article is Michael Mersch, assistant general counsel for the UFC. Mersch serves under Ike Epstein, who is lead counsel for the UFC. Mersch’s route to the UFC was via the NSAC pipeline most notable for bringing Marc Ratner to the UFC as VP of Gov’t and Regulatory Affairs. Mersch had served with the Nevada State Attorney General’s office, during which time he worked closely with NSAC. Mersch serves multiple roles with the UFC including assisting Ratner with legislative and lobbying efforts to legalize MMA on behalf of the UFC. Mersch also makes sure that contractual requirements are met by fighters in regards to things like sponsorships and the like. If your sponsor is getting banned, usually it is Mersch who is the bearer of the bad news for you.

The article looks at Steve Bash and his role as counsel to Fedor Emelianenko in the US. Bash seems to be a jack of all trades for Emelianenko, often serving as interpreter for the Russian fighter and often manages the fighter’s leisure schedule when in the States. This is in addition to his duties to “negotiate his contracts, deal with promotions and marketing, meet with television networks, and handle his visas.”

Also of note in the article is San Diego-based lawyer Rodney Donohoo and his relationship with fighter Ken Shamrock. The article elaborates on how their relationship began and how it has blossomed to a wide ranging relationship that at times can make up the lion’s share of his firms business. That seemed to be a theme of the piece overall, with the lawyers able to expand to one instance or relationship and parlay that into a bigger role within the fight business. The article is well worth a read, even for the non-lawyers among our readership.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Affliction Clothing Brings In Exec Talent, Looks To Diversify

he Orange County Business Journal reports that Affliction is bringing in additional executive talent in order to help provide more infrastructure to the company and facilitate more opportunities for diversification:

Seal Beach-based Affliction Inc. has tapped a group of seasoned apparel industry executives to help the edgy clothier make a headlong push into women’s clothes, designer jeans and licensing next year.

The new executive lineup represents a sea change for the company, which is known for the rock star image of its clothing, clientele and management. Affliction has wooed the well-photographed with its clothes and accessories, which are inspired by tattoos, punk rock and heavy metal music and mixed martial arts.

The privately held company hopes to maintain the dizzying pace of growth it’s seen since starting the Affliction brand in 2005. Affliction now generates more than $125 million in yearly revenue selling clothes under the Affliction, Sinful and Xtreme Couture labels at Seattle-based Nordstrom Inc., Fred Segal and Lisa Kline of Los Angeles and smaller stores such as Huntington Beach-based Electric Chair and SX in Irvine.

Co-owners Eric Foss, Clifton Chason, Courtney Dubar and Todd Beard have been managing Affliction on their own for the past three years. The company needed to bring in experienced executives to help manage growth and prepare for future initiatives, Foss said. “The business grew so rapidly and it just got to a certain point where we needed an infrastructure below us,” he said. The new executive team should help the company work out the kinks as it ventures into new areas, Foss said.

The company plans to unveil a women’s clothing line under the Affliction label next year, which will sell for $95 to $600. Plans to license the Affliction brand to watchmakers and sunglasses makers next year are in the works, Foss said. The company, which opened an Affliction store in Los Angeles earlier this year, also has plans to open more shops in Miami, New York and Las Vegas in 2009.

Some in the apparel industry wonder if now is the right time for Affliction to roll out stores and launch products. The economic downturn that has slammed retailers and apparel makers especially hard does indeed pose challenges for Affliction, Foss said. Affliction hasn’t seen a dip in sales and plans to get through the downturn by strengthening its cachet as an “it brand,” he said. “The brand is doing better than ever, so there would be no reason to not launch these plans,” Foss said.

The article mentions that Affliction group as a whole does around $125 million in revenue, so using Tom Atencio’s prior statements about the MMA brand making up a 20 to 25% of their brand mix, you can peg their Affliction MMA Apparel at somewhere around $25 to $35 million in revenues. Not huge numbers, but profitable nonetheless. Affliction by virtue of it’s chosen niche as a premium brand is never going to be a market share monster.

The Beard vs Couture situation is mentioned in the article and may be somewhat of a precursor of the the new execs coming in. However, the move seems kind of reminiscent of Tapout bringing in some one like Marc Kreiner to provide a more seasoned professional management of the company. As good a job as the original owners have done of a job at launching the brand, at some point there is usually a need to bring in folks that have the knowledge to take the business to the next level in marketing, distribution, etc.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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CIESNOLEVICZ SEES ADRENALINE AS SPRINGBOARD

During the days of the International Fight League, one team rose above the others, claiming all but one team title during the promotion’s history.

Lead by MMA legend and former Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Pat Miletich, the Quad Cities Silverbacks not only produced multiple world team tournament championships, but also helped introduce some exciting young talent into the MMA spotlight.

Among the new faces to the big stage was light-heavyweight Mike Ciesnolevicz.

During his time in the IFL, he proved a formidable opponent, and after the company folded, Ciesnolevicz went old school by winning two fights in two days earlier this year. Still, he yearns to return to the spotlight, and will get an opportunity to do so on the Dec. 11 Adrenaline card, headlined by his former IFL coach and mentor.

“I’m really excited to be fighting on the same show as Pat Miletich again,” stated Ciesnolevicz. “Here in Bettendorf (Iowa), he is a local celebrity and it’s a big deal to be on the show. I’m glad to be part of it and I’m excited to get on TV again – fighting on HDNet – that’s always a bonus.”

It’s been nearly a year since he pulled back-to-back wins, but unlike some fighters whose inactivity may be caused by lack of opportunity, it was illness that sidelined Ciesnolevicz.

“I did have a fight scheduled for September, but I had to pull out if it,” he said. “Josh Neer was actually kicking my ass in practice one day and I knew something was wrong there. I went to the doctor the next day and found out I had anemia.

“My red blood cells and iron levels were through the floor. My body wasn’t getting the oxygen it needed because I was training so hard and I wasn’t recovering.”

With the problem diagnosed, Ciesnolevicz has implemented the proper lifestyle to accommodate his anemia, and feels all the better for it.

“I don’t eat red meat really and I wasn’t taking iron supplements or really eating anything with iron in it, so my levels were so bad that when I started eating right I felt like a new man,” he commented. “I feel great now, I feel healthy, in shape and the best I’ve ever been. I feel like a completely different fighter.”

Now that his health concerns have been taken care of, Ciesnolevicz turns his attention towards Derrick Mehman, in a fight that’s turned personal since its rescheduling from September.

“There’s kind of a bad blood thing,” said Ciesnolevicz. “He was calling me out saying I was scared of him and stuff like that, but I legitimately had a health problem.

“I’m surprised he’s actually wanted to fight me and call me out, but he’s trying to make a name for himself. I understand that, but I feel it’s a really bad match-up for him, because no matter where the fight goes he’s going to be in trouble. He doesn’t have the experience I have and I feel just like this is going to be a fight I’m going to dominate anywhere it goes.”

After Adrenaline, Ciesnolevicz has plans on travelling to Brazil and Thailand to help augment his current skills and make the kinds of additions to his repertoire that will allow him to ascend to the level he feels he deserves to be at.

“I’m treating it like an IFL fight and I’m hoping this will get me back in the mix and catapult me back into a big show,” he explained. “This is what I’m doing for a living, and I’ve got to get up there and fight the guys I should be fighting.

“After this fight I’ll be 17-3, and it’s time for me to step up. I have a pretty solid record, train with a good team, I’ve been around, and it’s time to show people I belong with the upper-echelon guys.”

With his former Silverbacks teammates getting their opportunities to shine on MMA’s big stages, it could only be a matter of time before Ciesnolevicz gets his opportunity and proves his IFL team titles are only the first of many he can capture in the coming years.

“I want to thank Warrior Wear, Head Blade, NAGA, Muscle Milk, MFS Canada and Sandy Bowman,” he said in closing. “I hope everyone tunes in for this fight.

“You’re going to see Pat Miletich back in action, and a lot of guys who have either fought in the UFC, Pride, or the IFL, on the show – so it’s not going to be one you want to miss, for sure.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Adrenaline MMA card complete for iWireless Center on HDNet Dec. 11

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which will stage two events in the span of three days (December 10 and 13), is not the only promotion busy this week.

Adrenaline MMA is set to pull the trigger on its encore show at the iWireless Center in Moline, Ill., on Friday, December 11. The Monte Cox-led promotion hosted its inaugural event back in June, featuring a main event between Mike Russow and Jason Guida.

Russow — a talented prospect whose days on the smaller show circuit could be numbered — is back for more. However, Adrenaline MMA 2 will be headlined by 40-year-old former UFC champion and training legend Pat Miltetich, returning after more than two years away from the sport to take on Thomas Denny.

Ben Rothwell, Mike Ciesnolevicz, Ryan McGivern and others highlight a card that comprises several notable names and decent match ups.

Here is the latest line up, which is subject to change:

Main card (Televised on HDNet):

Pat Miletich (28-7-2) vs. Thomas Denny (26-17)
Ben Rothwell (29-6) vs. Chris Guillen (13-11)
Michael Russow (10-1) vs. Braden Bice (5-6)
Mike Ciesnolevicz (15-3) vs. Derrick Mehmen (4-0)
Gabe Lemley (13-7) vs. Dan Loman (10-4)
Ryan McGivern (12-6) vs. Geno Roderick (6-6)
Pat Curran (3-1) vs. Ramiro Hernandez (0-1)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

L.C. Jesse Lennox (8-1) vs. Ryan Williams (7-3)
LC Davis (11-1) vs. Billy Kidd (7-7)
Danny Rodriguez (2-3) vs. David Fuentes

Adrenaline MMA 2 will air live on HDNet at 10 p.m. ET on fight night. Contact your local cable or satellite provider for the network’s availability in your coverage area.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Patrick Cote: ‘I will beat’ Anderson Silva in a rematch

“I don’t think I won either of the first two rounds but going into the third we were where we wanted to be. Going into the third it was time to pick up the pace. We’ll never know what could have happened now. I was in very good condition and ready for five rounds…. He knew that I wasn’t scared of him. He landed big shots and I was there coming forward and smiling at him. I wasn’t in his head though so I don’t know what he was thinking … we’ll see what happens over the next six months. I know that if I get another shot at Anderson it will be more of the same only this time.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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MIGUEL TORRES: "I WOULD LIKE TO BANG WITH BOWLES; I THINK I CAN KNOCK HIM OUT"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3951.html?PHPSESSID=922bd7fb4aae4084224f93aef7ca3e01
If you missed the online chat session with WEC bantamweight champion, check the entire transcript to see what he had to say. "I think my next fight is going to be against Brian Bowles. I think he's the #1 contender right now. Jeff Curran is talking a lot of smack, but if Bowles wants it, it will be him," he stated and you don't want to miss what else he had to say about his recent win over Manny Tapia, his future plans and much more.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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PETER WELCH: "KENNY DOES WHAT HE HAS TO DO TO WIN"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3956.html
"Kenny does what he has to do to win and he could adapt to any situation. As far as his hands are concerned, as of late, his last couple of fights have been good. He just keeps getting better and better and improving...I know how hard the kid works. It's been a little bit of a grind for him to come back, but it's been a quick turnaround. I know how hard Kenny works and if anybody could get it done in a short period of time, it's Kenny. He's a lot sharper now," stated Peter Welch, boxing coach for Kenny Florian, as he talked about Kenny's recent success and much more. Check it out!
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Introducing Razaak Al-Hassan

When Razaak Al-Hassan was asked to replace injured Tomasz Drwal on short notice against Andre Gusmao at UFC 87 in August, it was the dream
call that all young mixed martial artists hope to one day receive. But when he was injured himself and forced out of the bout, that dream could have quickly turned into a nightmare if not for his positive attitude.

“I was optimistic about coming back,” said Al-Hassan. “I’m a person who believes that everything happens for a reason, so while the injury came at an inopportune time, I really believed that at some point I would get the opportunity again.”

That point came sooner than expected, as he will step into the Octagon for the first time Wednesday night against the last man to hold the WEC’s light heavyweight title, Steve Cantwell. And truth be told, this is an even better gig for the Des Moines, Iowa resident than the first one.

“This worked out even better than the first time I was supposed to fight because I was given more notice and had a longer training camp, and stylistically with Steve, I think I have a better matchup,” he said. “It’s pretty interesting how things work out – I guess that’s the fight game.”

Longer training camp, better stylistic matchup, and hey, he’s on the main Spike TV card, fighting in front of millions of viewers. You can’t ask for more when it comes to a UFC debut, but Al-Hassan will have to work for his payday, as the “Razor” will be facing his toughest opponent to date in Las Vegas’ Cantwell.

“From all accounts, Steve seems like he’s pretty well-rounded,” said Al-Hassan of his foe. “He’s got pretty good striking, and I haven’t seen much of his ground work, but I know he possesses some jiu-jitsu. Styles make fights though, and I think I’m a bigger threat to him than some of the other guys he’s faced. I’m a well-rounded fighter as well, and I see some things in my game that may make it more difficult for him. I think this is a good time for us to face each other and it will definitely be a good bout.”

But what about the 26-year old Al-Hassan, a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do who has compiled a 7-0 record on the Midwest circuit? There’s little internet video on him other than some instructional clips, and while his work with WEC vet Chuck Grigsby points to some impressive standup, he’s basically coming into the UFC as an unknown. That’s fine with him.

“I think it’s a tremendous advantage for me,” said Al-Hassan. “Steve’s been out there, his fights have been publicized and he’s been on a bigger stage, so I’ve gotten to watch a lot of video on him. I’m an unknown guy, I have that mystery around me, and him looking at my record won’t tell him much about me. He can train in general for me, but he doesn’t know specifically what I bring to the table, so that’s a huge advantage going into this bout with him.”

What is known about Al-Hassan other than his perfect pro record, is that he’s a student who also works for Wells Fargo. That means his dedication to the sport is as pure as it gets, mainly because he does it for the love of the game.

“I’m not the first fighter who’s had to work a full-time job in addition to doing his training,” he admits humbly. “I think it (working a day job) is something I need to do for the time being, and when I get the opportunity to train I definitely maximize the time I have and make sure the time I do spend training is quality time. I have my working time here at the office, and I have my training and competitive side, and doing MMA and martial arts in general fulfills that competitive desire in me. So I need to do this.”

His after work pursuits do come as a shock to some people though.

“I didn’t have a rough upbringing, I didn’t get into fights growing up, and I’m a pretty laid back guy, so when people see me fight, they really can’t believe it,” he said. “But I love to compete and I want to push my limits and see how good I am and what I can do physically and psychologically.”

He’ll be pushed in the UFC, especially in one of the sport’s toughest divisions, where a number of the game’s superstars reside. It’s almost like pitching in Triple A ball and then being asked to take the mound against the Yankees for Game Seven of the World Series.

“Honestly, I know it’s so cliché, but it really is a dream come true,” said Al-Hassan. “It’s all my hard work that I put into training and fighting come to fruition. I’m still shocked that I’m getting the opportunity to fight on a UFC card, and to fight for the troops especially, and I feel the 205 class is the most competitive in the UFC, and to be in a division with guys like Chuck (Liddell), Rampage (Jackson), Wanderlei (Silva), Shogun (Rua), and all these top guys, it really is a huge honor. I feel like I’m a small fish in the ocean, but I’ll
ad
keep training and working hard, and maybe one day I’ll have the honor of facing one of those guys.”

For now though, it’s all about showing up on Wednesday night and displaying his skills for the nation against Steve Cantwell. He’ll worry about everything else after the final bell sounds.

“I really hope I go out there and put on a great performance,” he said. “A fight can make or break you, whether it’s a win or loss. If you’re in a good, competitive bout, you can gain a huge fan following that will be loyal to you for your entire career, so I want to go out there, put on a good show and I want people to see what I’m capable of doing. (When it comes to the future) I just want to keep getting better with each fight and there are no specific time parameters – I’ll fight whoever the UFC decides to put in front of me.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Alvarez vs. Kotani at Extreme Challenge on Jan. 23

Eddie Alvarez's first opponent of 2009 will be ZST, Rings and UFC veteran Naoyuki Kotani at Extreme Challenge on Jan. 23 at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The new year appears to be a busy period for Alvarez (15-1), who is rumored to fight Shinya Aoki at "Dynamite!!" on New Year's Eve, and after Kotani, Alvarez will compete in the Bellator Fighting Championship tournament on ESPN Deportes.

Alvarez is currently ranked number two in MMAFighting.com's list of the top lightweights in the world.

Kotani (18-8-6) won last month against Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling Katsuhiko Nagata by heel hook submission at the ZST sixth anniversary show.

Kotani has not been able to of late match the success that he attained in the early 90s. Kotani first tasted defeat against Rich Clementi at the finals of the ZST 2004 Grand Prix and since then, has only won six out of his next 17 fights.

Kotani debuted for the UFC in 2007 losing twice to Thiago Tavares and Dennis Siver.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Manhoef To Kimbo: “Fight With Me!”?! Backstage Encounter

According to kamipro Move, Melvin Manhoef saw Kimbo Slice by chance backstage at the K-1 event on Saturday. Manhoef abruptly/suddenly made the appeal: “Fight with me!”. Some authorized persons then got in between (I don’t know if it was really needed or not).

Update: It doesn’t say how the tension was during the encounter. They might have been joking, or it could have been serious, I have no idea.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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The Leader Of Golden Glory! Bas Boon Comments

We have a lot of basements in Holland and Russia, during my time as a manager from Golden Glory we have ask many times to arrange a fight between Mirko Cro Cop and Semmy Schilt as well as Sergei Kharitonov, instead Mirko fought for instance a no name Japanese in his Dream debut.

Cro Cop should stop whining, he said he wanted a rematch and Alistair said yes, immediatley.

For Alistair it is all business, he was promised Cro Cop a few times, also in the Arena in Amsterdam when Gilbert was injured and in Ahoy in Rotterdam, the fight never happened, that’s why Allistair got irritated. Cro Cop said in the Dream press conference that when he knocked out Alistair, he would then take on team mate Kharitonov on the same night, because Lharitonov then still did not have an opponent, nice words, but like Kharitonov said, first you have to pass Alistair and that did not happen!

I am sure if all this media attention for this fight and interest is there, somebody will pay for Alistair and the trainers and manager from GG as basements and ego do not pay my monthly bills, we even will fight in the hole of the lion, basement, kitchen or garden from Cro Cop, with or without rules!

If you are really fans of the sport, you know that the sport has been growing because of the development with rules involved in MMA, so you wish for a fight in someones basement becasue of ego, does not show any support for the sport MMA, what so ever!

Bas Boon
 
Feb 7, 2006
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The Next…. Next Big Thing?

Former WWE sports entertainer Bobby Lashley will make his mixed martial arts debut at Mixed Fighting Alliance at the American Airlines Arena. Saturday, Dec. 13 in Miami, Florida. Lashley will face Joshua Franklin, who is also making his debut.

Lashley has been training in MMA for the past couple of years, varying the camps he has trained with but he looks to have settled down and stuck with American Top Team. While mainly known for his exploits in the WWE, Lashley has an extensive background in amateur wrestling, winning national championships at the NAIA level and continuing his amateur exploits while in the Army.

In light of the performance of Brock Lesnar, it should be interesting to see if someone takes a flyer on Lahsley. An impressive win could put him on the UFC’s radar, open up doors with one of the smalller domestic US shows, or possibly lead to a Japanese gig with Dream or Sengoku. Those that have worked with him in the past think he has the makings to be a force in MMA, but that remains to be seen.
 
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MTX Fight Night Coming Up January 9th

CEO of MTX Audio Loyd Ivey recently spoke with This Week In Consumer Electronics, and despite the difficult economic environment, was looking forward to putting on the company’s MMA show at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show.

“I say ‘Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead’… Just because the economy is firing torpedoes on our industry doesn’t mean we should change course,” Ivey told TWICE. “We have been through times likes this before and our MMA event at CES will show the industry that we are prepared to fight and win.”

The second annual MTX Fight Night is invitation-only and will be held at the Riviera Hotel & Casino’s Royale Pavilion on January 9 at 7 pm. You can find more information www.mtxmma.com/MTXCESFightNight.
 
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UFC Partners in Programming with Event TV HD

Multichannel News is reporting that the UFC has partnered up with a new HD channel to offer high definition events live:

TVN Entertainment Corp. has launched Event TV HD, with the service’s initial presentation this Saturday night’s pay-per-view boxing match from Las Vegas.

Broadcast in 1080i, 1920 by 1080 resolution as well as Dolby digital stereo or 5.1 audio, Event TV HD will proffer three to four live events monthly, including boxing, mixed martial arts, and wrestling from top providers like HBO, Showtime, UFC, and WWE.

The channel also offers Video on Demand, a technology that Lorenzo Fertitta seems to be keen on. Fertitta spoke last month at a VOD conference on the benefits of the technology.
 
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UFC inks John "Doomsday" Howard to four-fight deal, UFC 94 debut likely

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has signed top Northeast welterweight and one-time International Fight League fighter Josh "Doomsday" Howard (10-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to a four-fight deal.

Howard's manager, Joshua Benton of Strategic Sports Management, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the signing.

The welterweight fighter will likely debut at a Jan. 31 UFC 94 event in Las Vegas, though Benton said the fight is still in the process of being finalized.

The signing adds further depth to the UFC's already-stacked 170-pound division.

"The UFC doesn't have a division more difficult than 170," said Benton, a longtime promoter of regional fighters who launched Strategic Sports Management earlier this year.

In addition to the IFL, where he scored a third-round TKO of then-undefeated Nick Calandrino earlier this year, Howard has competed in popular Northeast organizations such as Ring of Combat and Cage Fury Fighting Championships during his four-year career.

Although the accomplished ground fighter won his first six fights -- five via submission -- Benton said that Howard has transformed into a well-rounded fighter.

"He's been fighting and training for a very long time," Benton said. "Over the past couple of years, his Muay Thai has gotten really good. His boxing has gotten good. For a long time, he was considered a ground fighter, but he's transitioned into a good stand-up fighter, too."

Howard's UFC deal represents Strategic Sports Management's first major signing, though Benton admits he's "not really in it for the money now."

"We started the the business to help the local guys who wanted to train full-time, needed help with sponsorship money, and maybe make more money with their fight purses," he said. "My partner at the company, Brian (Kenney), and I have political contacts in Boston and have been able to hook up the fighters with some bigger businesses (for sponsorships)."

Howard, who walks around at about 190 pounds, is currently riding a three-fight win streak. His only career losses have come to two current UFC fighters (Dan Miller and Nick Catone), and Alexandre Moreno (7-1) and Woody Weatherby (7-2).
 
Feb 7, 2006
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EliteXC's Diabate meets UFC vet Sincade in Jan. 22 PFC main event

Famed French striker and recent EliteXC fighter Cyrille "Snake" Diabate (12-6-1) will meet "The Ultimate Fighter" and UFC alumnus Lodune Sincaid (14-6) in the main event of Palace Fighting Championship's Jan. 22 event.

Nathan Brodnax of MMAAgents.com, which represents Diabate, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that bout agreements will soon be distributed and signed for the headline fight.

Diabate, a one-time PRIDE fighter who was offered an EliteXC light-heavyweight title fight before the organization canceled its Nov. 8 event, will compete for just the second time in 21 months.

Diabate, a 35-year-old accomplished kickboxer, first debuted professionally in MMA in 1999. He's won six of his past seven fights -- the only loss was to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at a September 2006 PRIDE event -- and has been courted by nearly every major MMA organization.

After signing with EliteXC earlier this year and defeating Jaime Fletcher at an August ShoXC event, Diabate was offered a fight with Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante for EliteXC's first-ever 205-pound title. However, Diabate turned down the fight and said he didn't have enough training time. (And the event was scrapped all together just a few weeks later.)

Like other EliteXC fighters, Diabate is able to compete outside the organization while company executives try to stave off elimination, which could result in a new ownership group.

Diabate will now meet Sincaid, a cast member on the original installment of "TUF" who entered the show with a 6-0 record. Since a loss to Nate Quarry at the show's live finale, Sincaid has fought for a variety of organizations, including the WEC, SportFight and PFC. He's won five of his past seven fights -- and both of his fights this year via first-round stoppage.

Also scheduled for the card, according to Brodnax, is a bout between Xavier Foupa-Pokam (19-9), who's won 11 of his past 12 fights, and BodogFIGHT and King of the Cage veteran Kyacey Uscola (15-12).

Foupa-Pokam is one of Diabate's training partners.

The Jan. 22 PFC event takes place at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.